While the country is celebrating Fourth of July – Independence Day – the annual remembrance of gaining independence from the British Empire in 1776, we at A Day Like No Other especially celebrate all those who are voluntarily giving up their individual independence for something much better: the lifelong union with their best friend and lover. Cheers to all our wonderful couples who are about to embark on this adventurous, arduous and supremely fulfilling journey!

As every year, the Pantone company has published its Color of the Year – or, to be exact, TWO colors of the year – for 2021, and I have to say – this year they are particularly beautiful and applicable to wedding design. A sunny yellow and a soft neutral gray…

… and here is how beautifully it works, actually at an early-summer wedding in 2014. These two were just wayyyyy ahead of their time!

Originally posted on MAY 31, 2014 BY JLAMMERTS)

Vannie and Richard at the Los Altos History Museum

A love story more than a decade in the making – and today, finally, it’s official: Vannie and Richard are Mr. and Mrs.! With more than a hundred guests as their witnesses, the two tied the knot at a very historic and romantic place – the History Museum in Los Altos,

surrounded by all that used to constitute rural life in the area in the last century or two; from ancient ploughs to … well, not quite so ancient tractors! Guests learned, among other things, that a plot for a single-family home in the heart of what is now Silicon Valley went for $ 55o – in the year 1917… That has changed! So much for the charming historic backdrop. Vannie’s and Richard’s personal history began exactly 11 years ago when they met in college, at UCLA.

They were assigned to the same dorm, and Vannie immediately felt intrigued by this attractive, slightly withdrawn “brooding artist” (Richard was majoring in Design) with that oddball sense of humor. “He seemed so … mysterious,” she muses when looking back. It took all her willpower and persistence (“or, what my parents call stubbornness,” jokes the bride) to win Richard over. But since Richard never does anything half-heartedly, his commitment was absolute, and that they’d be getting married at some point was a foregone conclusion. Well, finally this point did come, and the two chose a cozy and romantic venue (Los Altos History Museum) – and my company, A Day Like No Other, as their coordinator. Truly an honor!

Vannie had devised the decor theme and handmade most of the decorations herself in her wedding color, a sunny bright yellow. She fashioned a backdrop from strips of fabric and various hues of yellow, she made paper garlands with white, silver and yellow pompoms, and more big and small pompoms to hang from the mature trees shading the courtyard for Cocktail Hour.

A clothesline strung between the trees was hung with snapshots from the couple’s decade-long courtship, and in lieu of a guestbook, guests signed a vintage globe.

Even the flowers were “designed by Vannie!” The bouquets for herself and her bridesmaids were simple  bunches of Queen Anne’s Lace,

and the centerpieces consisted of stacks of books, topped by cream English Country roses in mason jars, complete with a little yellow flag for table numbers.

Guests found their way inside the courtyard, guided by cute yellow pinwheels lining the path, and signage was, of course!, likewise handcrafted by the bride: chalkboards for the program, the menu and the table assignments.

While my assistant Angeliki and I were busy putting everything up in their assigned spots, Vannie had her hair and makeup masterfully done by Susie Chhuor. Photographer Bre Thurston orchestrated Vannie’s and Richard First Look and many, many more photos throughout the day! The bride wore a spectacular ivory silk Reem Acra gown with beaded cap sleeves.

And here comes the Bride!

The short and very personal ceremony was presided over by minister Daniel Kennedy,

and while the couple was busy with more photos …

… their guests were  treated to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by Schumann’s FourSeasons Caterers, who also served a lavish family-style dinner,

outside under romantic string lights, as dusk was falling.

Then it was time for… cake cutting? Not quite! The bride and groom did this part of their celebration again “their way:” they cut a giant donut tower, and finished the dessert phase with ice cream sandwiches for everyone.

DJ Jeremy (who had already played beautifully for ceremony and cocktail hour) was now gearing up for the “dancing part” of the evening! After Vannie’s and Richard’s romantic First Dance, the crowd got inside for a wild dance party and really let it rip.

And here is why I love my job so much!

What a fantastic celebration… congratulations, Vannie and Richard, and our best wishes for a long, happy life – “growing old together…”

Yes, that’s right – this is the breathtaking view from Caroline’s and Kendall’s ceremony spot! But – getting there was quite a journey … and one that would never have occurred to these two!

Caroline and Kendall had known each other for years, and it was a journey in itself for them to get from friendship to a firm commitment – but when they did get engaged at long last, they enlisted the help of my company, A Day Like No Other, to pull off a truly epic wedding celebration. That was in July of 2019, and the plan was for a ceremony and reception for 180 guests at Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside. We would go overboard with flowers, have floral chandeliers, and a whole wonderland with candlelight and music on a crisp Fall evening – 10/10/2020, to be exact.

It was not going to be – the COVID-19 pandemic intervened. In the Spring of 2020, we were still hopeful and were booking all our vendors for the “wedding of all weddings.” Caroline selected her wedding dress, a dramatic Vera Wang confection appropriate for the grand celebration we were envisioning. In Summer and going into Fall, it became only too clear that the big celebration the couple had been hoping for was impossible. They were deeply disappointed, and it took a while to “regroup.” They decided to hold on to their original wedding date (and then, maybe, have a big party later) – even if that meant that they could only have their parents and siblings in attendance. Instead of a huge party, it would be a very intimate gathering. A family friend graciously offered her spectacular beach house, perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, for this small wedding. And with that, we again began making plans!

Finally, the long-anticipated day arrived, a little hazy as is often the case on the Northern California coast – with magical clouds and fog.

For Caroline and her two bridesmaids, as well for both mothers, the day began with hair and makeup styling by Elizabeth Chang of Skyla Arts.

After that, the glamorous wedding dress was taken out – looking closely, a fascinating combination of a Rococo silhouette and deconstructed, asymmetrical elements, even including a hint of horsehair underpinnings. Simply breathtaking. Photographer extraordinaire Kevin Chin documented every precious moment.

Time for a Champagne toast!

Dress-up time…

All that was missing now were the flowers: the beautiful bridal bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquets by Green Petal Designs.

While the ladies were getting ready, the groomsmen and fathers had their own bonding time…

The groom is now ready for his bride!

Bride Caroline was adamant: here groom would NOT get to see her before the ceremony! In that aspect, she really clung to tradition. And so we kept the two strictly separated for the time being.

Meanwhile, decorations were set up…

… and several teams were hard at work behind the scenes to prepare everything for the ceremony and reception. Florist Janelle Jacky-Litt of Green Petal Designs had reinterpreted the bride’s vision for floral chandeliers and an effortless, boho-elegant look for the (very different) beachfront location.

Her stunning arrangements with Pampasgrass, Eucalyptus and roses in the most delicate shades of dusty rose playing into nuances of green made the scene look even more gorgeous.

Everything was now ready for the ceremony, and here comes the bride!

Since Caroline and Kendall could not have the huge open Pavilion at their first-choice venue (Fogarty Winery), we prepared for them an open tent structure and adorned it with arrangements resembling the floral chandeliers she had so much hoped for… She made her way to the ceremony on a lily-white plush runner and past enlarged wedding photos of all mothers and grandmothers of the couple – truly a memorable and unique experience!

The ceremony was officiated by a close friend of the couple who found the most heartfelt words for this one-in-a-lifetime occasion.

It is official: “You may now kiss the bride!”

While guests were treated to Champagne …

… and delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres by Joshua Charles Catering…

… the newlyweds had their photos taken. Lots and lots of them!

Who says a small wedding at a private residence on a hazy day can’t be stunning, magical, and immensely photogenic?!

With their photos done, the newlyweds finally got to mingle with their family members and friends, grab a bite and listen to several speeches – both heartfelt and funny!

We had made sure that Caroline and Kendall were getting all the customary “highlights” of wedding celebration, for example a bouquet toss (INCLUDING the single gents) …

… and cake cutting …

… and a First Dance.

With darkness falling and a slight mist descending on the coastline, the whole wedding party boarded their waiting limousines for a short trip to their afterparty at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. And OF COURSE the newlyweds got a proper exit in style!

What a day… and, by the way – Caroline and Kendall loved their intimate wedding celebration so much that they ultimately decided against having “the big party” they had originally planned, at a later date. They are married, they are happy…. because “All You Need Is Love,” right?

Fourth of July – Independence Day. Who wouldn’t know? Every school child learns about it. It is the National Day of the United States. It commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, the motherland of the colonists. It commemorates the end of the American Revolutionary War, in which many thousands paid the ultimate price to attain their new country’s independence.

Independence thus is a value deeply rooted in American history and culture. It is a defining element of the American self-image.

The idea of independence, though, is not restricted to the political realm alone. It is likewise perceived as a value in its own right in the fabric of our society: women have fought a valiant battle for their legal and financial independence from their male family members – fathers, brothers, husbands – for their right to make their own decisions, choose their husbands themselves or live on their own, be the masters of their own fate. The idea of independence is ranking high in our perception of moral values.

And yet – every single day more than 12,000 US citizens voluntarily give up a good part of their personal independence: they get married!  (Which brings us to our main subject here at Wedding Woof).Have you ever looked at weddings from this aspect? Bride and groom are giving up the freedom to do as they like, to go out when they feel like it without asking anyone, to travel whenever wanderlust strikes without having to consider someone else’s feelings or schedules. Thankfully by today those tying the knot do so on their own accord and from their own free will. So – why are they doing it?

Brian Lyke, a minister in Carmel-by-the-Sea who officiates at many weddings, put it this way: ” When we get married, we’re not just fulfilling a social expectation. “Everybody my age is getting married, so that is the normal thing to do!” No, I firmly believe that the reason for getting married lies a lot deeper. Most human beings feel a deep loneliness, feel that something is missing from their lives without a counterpart. Knowingly or unconsciously, they are longing for another human being to share their joys big and small, their frustrations, their successes and failures, in short, their everyday lives. Without this partner, they feel incomplete, and they are searching for completeness, looking for wholeness…for fulfillment, and I believe that that longing for wholeness is part of our nature.  Simply put, we’re made for each other, we’re made for relationship.” And that entails a mutual give-and-take, entails voluntarily giving up some of our hard-earned independence – for love.

And that’s not the only area where people give up part of their independence for love: every month more than 7000 dogs are brought into someone’s household, be it adopted from a shelter or bought from a breeder. (Which brings us to the other focus of Wedding Woof…) Taking up responsibility for a pet automatically means a dramatic change in lifestyle: you can’t leave the house any more for hours at a time, you can’t travel as you used to… you always have to be mindful of your pet’s needs and happiness. And yet – ask any dog owner, and they will assure you that relinquishing part of their independence is double-and triple-rewarded by the love their pet gives them every single day. Here you have it again: sometimes love trumps independence.

Cheers to all those who courageously relinquish some independence in favor of love – for someone two-legged or four-legged… Which should not preclude you from celebrating Independence Day as well!